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Christmas Baking with Eddingtons

December 05, 2016

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There is nothing like homemade mincemeat during the holidays. I always make a big batch in the holidays and I use it for all sorts of things. It comes in really handy for mince pies, cakes, pastries, breads etc. The nicest thing is to be able to use your own homemade mincemeat for these things. That way you can control the kinds of fruit you use. I also like to add some flaked almonds to mine.

Another thing that helps is having a really great tin to bake your mince tarts in. this traditional mince pie and tart pan from the Bakeramics Bakeware range from Eddingtons is my favourite baking tin to use. This pan successfully combines classic design with the latest technology in PFOA-free super slick, non stick ceramic coating

It is perfect for making shallow rounded base mince pies and jam tarts just the way they used to be made! It can also be used for canapés, tiny quiches or even Yorkshire puddings.

I love the red coloured base, which makes it stand out from all of my other tins and makes it very easy to find in my baking cupboard. Things cook evenly in it and are really easy to release, even sticky things like mince tarts!

Another plus is that it is dishwasher safe, which makes for a really simple and easy clean up afterwards.

I really love how my tarts turned out this year. I used some little mini cutters to make steam vents in the centres and then placed the cutouts on top of the pies at angles which added to their cuteness I think!

They were really pretty with a dusting of icing sugar, which adds just that extra special little touch!

The
best way to make shortcrust pastry that has a crisp crumble in the
mouth texture is to do it by hand, rather than by machine. Using a
machine tends to overwork the gluten in the flour and the pastry has a
tendancy to end up springy and shrink when cooked.. Resting the pastry
for a half hour in the fridge is also an important step because of the
high proportion of butter to flour, which makes it difficult to roll out
when warm.

Sift the flour into a basin. Add the butter, cut into pieces and rub
it into the flour until it resembled fine dry bread crumbs. Add the
icing sugar. Whisk in well. Make a indentation in the centre of the
butter mixture. Beat the egg yolks and water together. Pour into the
indentation and then, using a fork, mix together to a rough dough in
the basin. Turn out onto a lightly floured work surface and knead for a
few minutes until smooth. Shape into a ball and then place into a zip
lock bag. Place in the refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes, while you
make the filling. Proceed as per the recipe requirements for whichever recipe that you are using to fill the tart with.

I have some really lovely tins this year to store my Christmas Baking in. This set of 3 storage tins from Eddingtons is designed to fit 15cm, 20cm and 23cm diameter cakes (6”, 8” and 9”)and features a contemporary Christmas design of holly and mistletoe leaves

They are made from good quality tin and nest inside each other for compact storage

It is recommended that you handwash these tins. They also come in a variety of patterns. They make excellent Christmas Baking Gift tins also. I don't know anyone who would not welcome a lovely tin of homemade baking, especially when presented in lovely tins like these!

Something else which I have been enjoying using are these lovely copper cookie cutters! Also from Eddingtons, they are available in a variety of styles and shapes. I love the heartshaped one with the handle for holding. Perfect for my Christmas Lebkuchen. (Watch for a recipe soon!) The snowflake and snowman cutters are perfect for all your roll out needs. These are especially nice when layered with the smaller cut sandwiched on top of the larger one for a really special effect. And . . . just saying, they look really lovely hung on the tree with a pretty ribbon. They really are excellent cutters. I can't wait to show you what I did with them, but I wanted to give you enough time before Christmas to pick up your own so watch this space for more on them next week.

Altogether my Christmas Baking has been really sorted this year thanks to Eddingtons and their quality bakeware and utensils.

You can buy the Bakeramics 12 cup Mince Pie tin at Online Kitchenware for the price of £10.10. They offer same day shipping and free UK postage.

You can buy the set of cake tins at Online Kitchenware also, for the price of £13.30 Once again, any orders placed before 1 pm are shipped on the same day and there is free UK postage.

Another dish I have enjoyed using over these past couple of months is this lovely Wade Ceramics 10" Oval Baker Dish. This ceramic oval baker's dish is perfect for baking a homemade pie as the ceramic dish heats evenly creating an overall even bake.
The dish design allows you to serve at the table straight from the oven. It is microwave, oven, dishwasher and freezer safe. It is available from Harts From Stur at a price of £15.99.

It's great for pies but I have also been enjoying using it with casseroles. Everything baked evenly and it has a nice deepness to it. It cleans like a dream.

Many thanks to Eddingtons for sending me these to use. Eddingtons
are purveryors and suppliers of quality kitchen merchandise. They
pride themselves in finding fun, innovative and practical kitchen and
housewares that are just that little bit different

Your tarts look lovely! That's a really nice pan, too. They'd work great for making little apple pies to take skiing. Living here in USA I've never had mincemeat, at least in Californi it's just not popular. I've seen a jar of prepared mincemeat but think a homemade version would be a better introduction to it. Maybe I'll get brave and give it a try (kind of hard to get used to the idea of meat being in a fruit pie!).

Thanks Jeannine! Homemade mincemeat is infinitely better I will say. I think at one time there used to be meat in it, but these days there isn't. You should be able to get suet at the butchers. Hope you will give it a go! xo

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About Me

Marie Rayner

Canadian ex pat deliciously living and cooking in the UK. I cook and eat every day. I like to take pictures of it and then share it with you!

How I got Here

Welcome to my English Kitchen. I moved over here to England from Canada in the year 2000. Before I arrived, I was told that the cooking and food over here was awful, except for the Roast Beef and the Fish and Chips. I had no idea of what to expect, but it didn't sound good.
I landed at Heathrow with a bulging suitcase full of kitchen tools, handwritten recipes and a 4 litre can of Maple Syrup, totally prepared to be greeted with the worst.
I am happy to say that over the past 17 years I have discovered that most of what I had heard was totally and completelywrong!
Here in the UK we have some of the best poultry, meats, fishes, ingredients and produce in the world, and some of the most innovative chefs. I have learned so much about cooking in the past fifteen years, and I've enjoyed trying and experiencing many new things, thankfully most of them wonderfully delicious!
I love English food . . . both the traditional, and the wonderful blend that is modern British Cuisine . . . a delicious mixture of a variety of tastes and cultures.
I hope you'll come along with me as I explore all the wonderful tastes, sights and textures that England has to offer even the most discerning of palates.

Contact Me

If you have any questions or want to work with me, feel free to e-mail me at mariealicejoan@aol.com

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TWEET

Did You Know???

Make Your Own Self Raising Flour:You can make your own self raising flour by adding 1 1/2 tsp of baking powder and 1/4 tsp of salt to every cup of plain flour.

Make Your Own Baking Powder:You can make your own baking powder by combining 1 tablespoon of bicarbonate of soda with 2 tablespoons of cream of tartar. It's ideal for coeliac sufferers who can't find the gluten-free variety of this raising agent, but measure it out carefully because too much or too little can upset a recipe's balance.

Make Your Own Mixed Spice:You can easily make your own mixed spice: Combine 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 1 tsp each of ground coriander and nutmeg, 1/2 tsp of ground ginger, 1/4 tsp each of ground cloves and all spice. Mix well and store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.

Make Your Own Cajun Seasoning: Mix together 2 1/2 TBS of salt, 1 TBS dried oregano leaves (Rub to a powder using your fingertips), 1 TBS sweet paprika, 1 TBS cayenne pepper, and 1 TBS ground black pepper. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to six months.Make Your Own Pumpkin Pie Spice: Mix together 1 TBS ground cinnamon, 2 tsp ground ginger, 1/2 tsp ground cloves, 1/2 tsp ground allspice, 1/2 tsp freshly grated nutmeg and a pinch of ground mace or ground cardamom. Store in an airtight container out of the light for up to 6 months.